Mahalia: A Life in Gospel Music

Born black and poor into a small house crammed with 13 people, Mahalia Jackson hardly seemed destined to "walk with kings and queens," as her beloved Aunt Bell predicted. Yet, with deep faith in God and a voice that could turn a sedate audience into a writhing, foot-stomping frenzy, Mahalia did indeed find spectacular and satisfying fame and glory. Credited as one of the voices that introduced gospel music to the world at large, Mahalia remained true to her faith even as she climbed the road to superstardom. From down-home churches to Carnegie Hall, from the 1963 equal rights march on Washington to the funeral of her good friend Reverend Martin Luther King Jr., Mahalia sang her heart out.

Roxane Orgill's handsome biography, with many black-and-white photos, follows the remarkable career of this New Orleans washer-girl who became an internationally acclaimed singer and supporter of the civil rights movement. Like the thousands of rapt audience members over her lifetime, readers will be moved and inspired by this powerful woman and her unwavering convictions. (Ages 10 and older) --Emilie Coulter